911 Call Led to Cry for Help, Woman Claims

MINNEAPOLIS (CN) – A woman’s distress call to 911 resulted in her being pepper sprayed, Tasered eight times, beaten and hog-tied by police, Julie Willenbring claims in Federal Court. “The shock of the Taser caused her to urinate and to wet her pants, which were torn off (her) body from behind, leaving her in her underwear (and a ripped shirt),” the complaint states.

Willenbring says she called police to quell an escalating dispute being her friend, Elaine Jo Gisler, and a pack of obstreperous drunk men who had been harassing and threatening Gisler outside the Marina Bar in Breezy Point, Minn. Willenbring claims the responding officer was hardly sympathetic and threatened to arrest her if she continued to speak. She says she panicked when he tried to restrain her, pleading that she is a diabetic with extreme claustrophobia. She was allegedly pepper sprayed, Tasered and assaulted. “As Plaintiff tried to protect herself from the excessive force being used against her, she was struck in the face and received a blackened bruised eye … and a swollen cheek bone.” Willenbring says she was then handcuffed, hog tied and placed in a squad car, where she was again Tasered for pushing her feet against the car door. She claims she thought she was going to die and yelled “help me – I am diabetic” to bystanders. Willenbring and her husband want the city, police officers and bar operators to pay at least $75,000 plus punitive damages. Plaintiffs are represented by Andrew Goins.